It is not that big of a secret that technology has always been pushing the industry, and for that matter the entire world forward, but their close relation has never been stronger than it is today.

Because of that, even the smallest changes in the world of tech are capable of moving the mountains across the business landscape, and once crucial tools and business models are becoming obsolete over the course of night.

Let us see than what is brewing on the horizon, and what trends are going to shape 2016.

Rise of the Virtual Workforce

Although telecommuting workers are hardly a new thing, it should be mentioned that by this point the process of relocation of workers from their workplaces to their homes has become the road with no return.

As a matter of fact, the pace in which their numbers are growing will only become faster, and according to one survey conducted by Virgin Media Business by 2020 as much as 60% of the office-based workers will work from their homes.

This trend is strongly supported by the rise of the online collaboration platforms like Basecamp, which are gradually replacing the on-site offices.

Mobile Computing Still Going Strong

We already saw the glimpses of what mobile computing is really capable of late last year when Microsoft presented Continuum technology which was supposed to bridge the gap between smarthpones and PCs.

Although incomplete, Continuum showed a great potential, and today Redmond giant is working on bringing full blown Win32 apps on their phones, which would increase their functionality immensely.

Even if this project eventually falls flat, it seems that functionality catch up game between mobile apps and their PC counterparts is closing to an end.

Growing Importance of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems

It seems that online marketing was a great equalizer which enabled everyone to launch very successful marketing campaigns without investing too many resources into them.

When the playing field became so leveled, the only thing businesses could do was to find new ways to appeal to their audience, and hence the rise of attention given to customer relationships.

Still, great customer relationships are impossible without proper CRM tools and systems, and more and more business will become aware of that in the near future.

Improved Online and Offline Security

Until recently, there has been much concern about the privacy and security of data stored in the cloud.

These days when local encryption technologies, and two-factor authentication are nothing new, and even the smartphones are protected with fingerprint and iris scanners, presenting the case of data security as a huge treat that it supposed to be is, quite honestly, a moot point.

And since things like access card, security camera, and biometric office security are becoming more of a standard than an oddity, we will see the restless IT industry brining all the mentioned technologies together to create perfectly safe work environments.

Acceptance of New Paying Methods

We have already grown accustomed to use our phones to make online orders, pay our bills, and make various in-app, and in-game micro-transactions.

Expect these paying methods to explode and take much bigger place in the business world than they have now.

PayPal, Apple Pay, LifeLock Wallet, and similar options are growing increasingly important as the time goes by, so retailers will, eventually, have to come to terms and start accepting them on some more comprehensive level.

Staying ahead of the curve has always been important, but these days when the playing field is global, and competition numerous, fierce, and very dense, we may as well say that it is a matter of life and death.

Be sure to constantly check what is brewing on the horizon and be the one which leads the column. The number of consolation prizes is growing small.

One Response to “Business Trends Which Will Shape 2016”

The primary reason for the loss of jobs that has led to discontent is the replacement of labor through improved productivity, not the export of jobs to China and Mexico. It is just hard to blame yourself or retrain and easier to use job transfers as a scapegoat.

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